A former international hockey player, an autistic teenager and a primary school teacher were among those to tell Get Surrey about their experiences

Organising hordes of people is second nature to GuilFest bar manager Ian Jennings, for the former international athlete is the performance director at Guildford Hockey Club.

The former GB hockey player-turned-coach and ex-army officer said there were distinct similarities between coaching athletes and the logistics of getting 100 bar staff working in a fluid manner.

Speaking of how he got involved, he said: "It was about 15 years ago that [GuilFest organiser] Tony Scott asked a really good friend of mine whether he'd be interested in running the bar here and asked if he knew any staff who they could trust and would be reliable.

"This staff we made of army friends and hockey players.

"In that first year we had about 29 people and now it's nearly 100.

"We have grown and we would like to think that every year we have improved the experience for the customers."

Ian's "big happy family" has a great rapport with the customers, many of them coming back year after year to be served by the same bar staff, while he ensures there is "a good balance between work and play".

Speaking of the best part of the GuilFest experience, he said: "Just the interaction that the staff have with the customers and this great thing that when someone gets a tip we all clap and shout.

Marcus O'Mahony with his father Mike and supervisor Faye

Marcus O'Mahony was at his first ever GuilFest working as a steward.

The 17-year-old music fan from Banstead is autistic and was being supported with his litter-picking duties by supervisor Faye Grounds, and his dad Mike.

Mike said: "We're here to support Marcus who is special needs, as GuilFest has made a special effort to recruit people with special needs."

Marcus said: "It's been very good, I have worked on Saturday and today [Sunday].

"I enjoyed The Farm, I saw some of them afterwards and they were very friendly.

"It has been hard work, a bit of hard work but good."

Jo Nicholls

Head steward Jo Nicholls, 35, from Woking, was working in the Kids' Zone on Sunday.

The newly-qualified primary school teacher said: "I have come a couple of times before with a stand, but this is my first year seeing it from the inside out, as it were.

"I have really enjoyed it, it has been brilliant, the weather has held out."

On Saturday, Jo worked at the information point where she found the role had some memorable moments.

She said: "We had a few lost children who were reunited with their parents, and items of lost property, phones and wallets that were reunited with their owners and it gives you a bit of buzz reuniting those people with their children.

"They are totally bereft and then when they get them back it's a wonderful thing."

Matt Russell with his wife Lydia

Youth pastor Matt Russell, 28, was working in the Momentum Youth tent alongside his wife Lydia.

Matt, who is pastor at the Family Church in Guildford, has been helping young people get an audience with the Momentum Youth open mic section.

"What I am doing here is just a bit of an extension to what I do normally.

"Momentum Youth runs at the church on Friday nights so this tent is basically like what we do on a Friday night and we have just brought it here."

Of the GuilFest experience, Matt said: "It has been awesome, this is the fifth time we have run a youth venue here and it has been ace, really cool.

"We have had a great response from the young people and the weather has not been wet, which is a first so it's been really good."

Darren Gordon

Traditional sweet vendor, Darren Gordon, 44, was one of few people welcoming Sunday's cooler weather.

The north Londoner, at the festival for the first time, said: "People's appetites diminish in the hot weather.

"I am not here to have fun, I'm here to make money, so the hot weather hasn't helped my sales because in the heat people just want to buy drinks or ice cream.

"It would have been nice to have my kids here too, but they were unable to come."

Selling everything from popping candy to aniseed balls, Gordon's Sweets offers a nostalgic alternative to the other takeaway fare on offer.

Darren said: "Not many people do what I do, I wanted to try and replicate an old-fashioned sweet shop.